The Demon God Sect's Attack
Half a day passed before the Demon God Sect launched their assault on Heavenly Note Sect. Word had spread about the Divine Feather Sect's new master being present. Millions of demon beasts swept across the landscape. Most were from the Heavenly Star and Axis realms, but their numbers made up for their individual weakness. Elder Feng Yu appeared in the distance ~ she ranked second only to the Demon God Sect master himself.
Sect's preparations paid off. Xiao Ning unleashed thunder attacks while Ye Ziyun wielded ice law techniques. Long Yuyin struck with draconic energy with techniques superior to any existing ones in draconic continent, and Yu Yan fought as a martial ancestor. The experts we had positioned beforehand handled the battle perfectly. Not a single Dao Dragon realm sect member died.
I knocked away a few beasts that wandered my direction, sending them into oblivion regardless of their power. Once I saw the others could manage independently, I stepped back. The war ended earlier than expected. The defensive array held the remaining horde at bay, giving everyone room to breathe.
The Bluff
Xiao Ning and Ye Ziyun had asked to meet with Nie Li, so I took them along. Long Yuyin also joined. But he had already gone to confront Feng Yu, just like in the original story. I couldn't understand his thought process. One was a late-stage martial ancestor demon, and the other two were elder demon beasts with initial martial ancestor cultivation.
Maybe his escape techniques gave him confidence. He hadn't merged with the Thunder God Meteorite sword yet and was still at Dao Dragon realm. The fragments hadn't arrived from other sects. Unlike the story, he had sent a letter asking them to come seeking resources on their own, rather than asking first or sending resources directly.
He started bluffing exactly as in the plot, claiming Demon God Sect Master Mu Ya was his dao companion. She was his senior sister in a way ~ both were Kong Ming's successors ~ but I think he didn't know that yet. Feng Yu used an enchanting technique as final confirmation that the person before her was a supreme elder who had used the Sun Theft technique to appear human. Someone infiltrating to share her sect master's concerns as a dao companion, not trying to trick her.
"Meeting the honorable Elder today was fortunate. We will keep your instructions in mind. Elder Feng Yu shall take her leave." She bowed subserviently and retreated immediately. "Xu Long, Xu Hu, relay the order ~ retreat and return with me to Demon God Sect."
After the incident ended, he noticed us hidden in void.
Long Yuyin broke the silence, trying to apply spiritual pressure and start a fight. "Scoundrel, how do you know the sect master of the demon sect so personally? Are you a demon clan member in disguise? This was all part of your plan? Were you all poisoning us??"
She didn't realize Nie Li had been bluffing to outwit a great elder of the Demon God sect. Earlier, she had believed the act and almost attacked, but I had contained her and her aura fluctuations within a protective shield.
Even knowing the story, Ye Ziyun decided to tease him too. "So that's what happened after you lost me? You found a woman there? Knowing her so personally, you two must have a history?"
"No... What if I have? If you can pursue another man, then I can do the same, human or demon. I know her personally." Nie Li appeared defensive.
" You... why are you not taking action?" Long Yuyin turns to look at me with obvious discomfort.
"Don't take everything he says so literally, people can lie." I sighed, explaining the situation to my disciple.
...
"No problem. Just curious. Is Xiao Yu okay with it?" Xiao Ning asked with genuine curiosity to Nie Li's earlier answer.
"Why does Xiao Yu need to be okay with it? Anyway, he will be. He's my friend. A real one, unlike some people who go behind their backs."
"He is a she, you blockhead. How obvious can you be?" Ye Ziyun couldn't stop herself from revealing it. "We've known it since our first meeting in the tiny world. Tao told us she likes you..."
Nie Li fell silent at this revelation. Why am I hearing shocking news one after the other like this? Why is no one being direct nowadays? This was his thought process. He was clearly in the wrong mood and left altogether.
The Thunder God Meteorite Sword Crisis
The next day brought an emergency message from Yu Yan's soul seal. I tracked her position and found Nie Li's Myriad Miles painting rolled on the ground, abandoned. I knew its vulnerabilities well enough ~ activating it was simple.
Inside the painting realm, Yu Yan and Xiao Yu lay exhausted near the Thunder Tribulation sword. What I discovered made me pause. Nie Li's soul core had been completely absorbed into the weapon, transforming him into its spirit.
"So I got him killed by taking back two of his girlfriends and even the spirit beast," I muttered, staring at the sword.
"Come on, is your entire source of luck dependent on those two girls?"
His screaming echoed from within the blade. I couldn't leave it like this. Using heavenly principles seemed the most direct approach, though the time field would work as backup. My soul force enveloped the sword, calming the chaotic intent fluctuations inside. He could condense a body for the sword, but then he would ultimately be a sword turned human with similar cultivation. Someone powerful could still force him to serve as the sword spirit itself if he was unlucky.
The spirit extraction technique required precision. I covered his soul realm with protective energy and inscriptions, then dragged it free, sending it back to his body on the ground. The connection reformed naturally. As I fed soul force into his soul realm, the sword turned ethereal and merged with his physical form.
Yu Yan stirred, approaching with obvious discomfort. "Is he alright?"
"He will be. His soul realm is completely drained though." I retrieved a soul elixir from storage ~ the same type I use personally. The overwhelming tide of new soul force channeled back into his soul realm, jolting him awake with a gasp.
The remnant energy broke and rebuilt his soul multiple times. His heavenly energy reserve boiled over, attracting even more from the Myriad Miles space. The intensity pushed him from late-stage Dragon Dao realm straight to Martial Ancestor.
The advancement was so violent he barely had time to recover. Looking at him above, still cultivating, I said, "I'm leaving."
I turned to Yu Yan and Xiao Yu, who had just awakened. She had also reached martial ancestor realm.
"Tell him not to harm himself. And you... if you return outside, disaster is imminent from deity beasts sensing you. Advance your cultivation faster, but this myriad miles won't help shield the evolution of technique inside either, after a while. Either find a solution yourself, or come to me."
With that, I returned outside the painting.
Sect Politics and Meetings
Back outside, I borrowed Xiao Ning from her sect duties for some quality time together in her private quarters. A day later it was Ye Ziyun's turn. Four days later, a meeting with the major sects was scheduled.
Nie Li only emerged after three days, coming to me and offering a respectful bow for the rescue. Knowing about his master's possible presence near me from Xiao Yu, he gave thanks again.
"Thank you for saving me. Even though what you did to me was still not acceptable, I won't hold a grudge against you either." He was still clinging to that but spoke with surprising generosity before walking away.
His plan to send single men from Divine Feather Sect remained unchanged. But knowing the story, Ye Ziyun had already confronted him about being a bastard for doing exactly that. Before Nie Li found himself in trouble in the Myriad Miles painting by merging with the sword, the transfer of people had already been implemented.
We saw many disciples forming relationships with each other, though not with the intensity mentioned in the original story ~ more like ten thousand of them free to choose, instead of fifty thousand men given direct orders to produce at least a child or two or face expulsion. To make it a close alliance than a subordinate sect.
The next day's meeting brought together representatives from every major righteous divine sect. Duan Jian came from Phaseless Sect, along with delegations from Sky Origin Sect, Thousand Flowers Sect, and Skyblaze Sect ~ each brought their sect masters, geniuses from tiny world, and core elders.
The sect masters were invited by the disciples there under Nie Li's invitation, to receive the elixirs and learn about his grand plans.
Without the killing of Ye Ziyun's father, there was no inherent competition between Nie Li and the Demon Lord beyond past-life hatred. When the Demon Lord came asking for extracts of the Divine Phaseless Elixir, claiming he was also a reincarnated person who had obtained the legacy of Daozang Master ~ ultimately someone fighting Sage Emperor from the same side rather than creating a new enemy ~ Nie Li told him to ' Fuck off' and get lost, saying that him being a disciple of Daozang Master was the only reason he could escape here freely.
Being a martial ancestor, Nie Li was unhinged, especially affected by recent acts of unmet love and my own help in rescuing him from certain death.
Considering who the Demon Lord was, a quick fate calculation revealed he would create troubles for Nie Li by forcibly seizing what he needed from sect elders. If he obtained enough that he believed sufficient, he would be willing to divulge some information to the Demon God Sect to create problems for Nie Li. That dismissal 'fuck off' would fuck him right back if things going like this.
I sent a few extracts to the Demon Lord as he left in rage, them appearing in front of him with a divine sense message with its spiritual suppression. "He is not in his right mind these past few days. Don't create additional troubles for the human race. Keep this, or even your Daozang lineage and its inheritance can't stop me from coming to kill you."
***
Later, Nie Li convinced the masses about Sage Emperor trying to refine their entire realm. They needed to cultivate more forces and power than they currently possessed. He gave them advanced techniques and asked them to massively increase candidate selection from the new year onwards for a final fight.
In the middle of the discussions, an unknown person approached me.
"We've never met before," he said.
I heard Xiao Ning beside me respond, "Young master Xiu Ming, this is my fiancé Tian Chitao."
So this was the guy who had been pestering her before.
"Nice to meet you. Do you have anything to convey?" I made my presence known directly.
His confidence took a massive dip after sensing my power. "No... Brother Tao, I have heard about your name and seen you at the last sect meetup. I never thought the first person to reach martial ancestor realm on their own from the younger generation would be you. It's a pleasure meeting you."
I wasn't interested in playing games with him. "Look around you. Nie Li, the three girls next to me, myself ~ all are martial ancestors. First doesn't have much meaning now." Yeah, recently with my help all Xiao Ning, Ye Ziyun and Long Yuyin all three just entered Martial Ancestor realm.
He left soon after. At least he knew when to appear modest. In Nie Li's past life, this guy had sacrificed his entire sect to gain strength by practicing some twisted technique. With the addition of the new elixirs, things might change.
Return to the Tiny Realm
A week later, the people from the tiny world who had come to draconic ruins after the trial at netherworld all met together at its entrance once again. My divine sense detected a snake from Demon God Sect waiting for the seal to unlock. I decided to stop interfering as I had before.
I had seen Nie Li die once, and get in trouble next just from my influence. I could have warned them, but what more convincing argument could be made for Glory City residents to return with us, leaving their homeland after the attacks?
The moment Nie Li used his Thunder God Meteorite sword to unlock the seal, I stepped in to the portal and changed the shielding to this realm. The shield was set to block any perception inside. From the outside, the tiny world would appear unchanged despite the seal being off, not giving off the aura of divine artifacts or even allowing any messages to pass through.
"I have shielded it off now, but it seems someone else entered the moment the seal was unlocked," I replied to Nie Li, who confusedly asked me:
"But I didn't see you do anything. Who entered?"
"If you don't believe me, try sending a message to Long Yuyin or the Sky Origin clan subordinates you placed outside. As for the intruder, it was a heavenly fate realm with demonic aura."
He sent a message and received no reply, confirming my words. We observed the spatial point of Glory City and descended only to see chaos. The monsters had broken the array and were fighting the residents.
I didn't need to do anything. The moment others descended, the power of their techniques was enough to wipe out millions of demon beasts attacking. I sensed the snake that had entered earlier and with a slight gesture, imprisoned it in my hand.
Family Tragedy and Karmic Intervention
Despite its subservient words begging me to spare it, I paid no attention and ventured to meet the Tian Kui Family members I spotted among the battle.
What waited for me was the lifeless body of my father in this life. Someone was helping move it while others, after getting rest from the battle that had suddenly stopped due to earlier attacks from Nie Li and the members annihilating the monsters outside, watched in silence. The half-dead legend rank demon beast, feeling my aura and witnessing the massacre upon our entry, simply waited for death.
Seeing me approach, everyone who knew me became silent, until someone called out.
"Young master Tian, your father... he gave his life..." The man choked on his words as tears fell.
For a moment, the memories I had with him stirred, reminding me of my origins. If I had stopped the demon I had in my hand earlier, this wouldn't have happened. Letting the attack happen is a convincing argument huh? Fate, wasn't it?
Feeling my gaze, the vermilion snake demon beast in my hand became pale. Death was not the worst thing that could happen to a heavenly fate realm cultivator. It knew this all too well. I raised my other hand to stop their consoling words and created a small concealing barrier. I made the snake unconscious.
Crouching down, I saw the body had been dead for only a few minutes, with mangled pieces of flesh and burn marks from multiple attacks even after him being a legend Rank.
I pointed my finger at him and uttered "Karmic Rebirth." The rule domain enveloped as far as my scope reached. Suddenly, the laws of the small world reversed cause and effect. His flesh and blood were drawn backwards, re-condensing. The dispersed soul came together from energy absorbed, reforming and restitching with his corpse. The death energy permeating was drawn in by nether divine dao, replaced by life energy. His heart started pumping again.
He would soon wake up. Only twenty percent of his soul had dispersed ~ it would lower his realm, but he was back to life.
I stood back up and gazed at the Tian Family retainer who sobbed by my side. "This never happened. He was gravely injured, I fed him a pill and he was healed. Get him back to the family. I will meet up soon."
He nodded blankly.
The trusted aide of the family was the only one who witnessed what happened nearby. Even knowing the dead had been brought back to life, the perception of others was concealed by me. Otherwise, every other family would request my services.
I turned to the demon beast who was caught up in the karmic backlash. My aura alone was enough to make it explode.
Confrontations and Revelations
Returning to the scene, I saw Nie Li questioning two demigod rank demon beasts who had led the attack. Seeing the snake unconscious in my hand, they called out, "Ancestor!"
I told Lu Piao and Nie Li nearby, "This is the guy who entered the moment the restrictions were lifted." I tossed it to them.
I remained fairly passive in their discussions, my role obviously a step lower than before. Two days passed meeting with family and handling various matters.
Nie Li decided to meet with his parents and others. He met with Yang Xin and others, but he remained under my vision ~ I didn't know if the old man from Abyssal Realm would have a change of heart and kill him.
Meanwhile, I saw Ye Ziyun happily engaging with her father, Ye Zong, and her grandfather when he asked about cultivation over all these years. She was possibly grateful he didn't die like in the story, but from her thoughts, it was certain she was missing the younger version of him being reborn. She had also learned about his secret through the story and was ready to tease him about it.
For Xiao Ning's family, the previous contract engagement with me was still in talks, potentially leading to marriage. But considering the situation of Glory City and the time left, they planned to discuss more after entering Draconic Ruins realm. They invited me for a meal together.
Kong Ming's Heir
When Ye Ziyun invited me to her place, I heard a loud explosion startling all of the Glory City residents. The abyssal realm opening array was torn, and just like in the story, the old man emerged.
Nie Li stood ready, his presence far beyond what it should have been. In the original tale, he had been a low-rank Dao Dragon cultivator at this point. Now? A Martial Ancestor. The difference was staggering. The benefits of killing an heir of Kong Ming with such potential at young age were immense, and the old man recognized it immediately.
"Infinity has no beginning... no beginning can have no end." The old man's voice was a rasp, his eyes sharp with calculation. "To reach Ancestor Realm in mere years... You are no ordinary inheritor. The Void Emperor's will, demands we devour one another. And you ~ your talent makes you a worthy feast."
There it was again, another misfortune I had caused by helping too much. Nie Li's fate and luck had improved recently after becoming sect master and merging with the Thunder God meteorite sword body, but now him being slightly more powerful also led to another disadvantageous situation.
Nie Li could now break out of the aura lock and wasn't as powerless as he had been depicted. But against a peak level ancestor that too, doped with Kong Ming's inheritance assimilated, Nope no win.
Yu Yan and Xiao Ning were already there when Ye Ziyun and I arrived. The air was thick with tension. Should I interfere? Or let fate play out?
Seeing increasing number of martial ancestors as his back up, he didn't worry. Instead changed his plans to target his prey first and deal with others later. The old man didn't wait he moved..
He struck, weaving past Ye Ziyun, Xiao Ning, and Yu Yan with terrifying precision. His attacks were brutal, efficient ~ each motion designed to maim, to incapacitate. One by one, they fell, blood staining the ground, souls injured. Then he turned to Nie Li.
Blows were exchanged, deflected, redirected. But the gap was undeniable. Nie Li hit the ground hard, coughing blood, his body and soul battered even his new enhanced sword bore no clear advantage. The old man raised his hand for the final strike ~
And then I moved.
A single slap sent him reeling back in the ground for a distance. In the same motion, I pulled Nie Li and the others to my side.
The old man recovered instantly, his gaze locking onto me with newfound wariness. "You interfere?" His voice was a growl. "You have skill. But that won't save you."
He lunged.
His claw streaked toward my throat before his body reached a spatial ability~ only for my hand to intercept it midair. My fingers closed around his neck in the same spatial motion, lifting him effortlessly. He thrashed, his body twisting as he tried to unleash some hidden technique using killing intent, some soul-paralyzing strike. But my essence energy flooded his meridians, sealing them shut.
"Xiao Ning. Ye Ziyun. You alright?" I called over my shoulder.
"Yeah," Xiao Ning muttered, wiping blood from her lip.
The old man snarled, still struggling. But he was trapped. His power ~ greater than a Martial Ancestor's ~ meant nothing now. I pressed my Paramita spiritual aura down upon him, a suffocating weight that crushed his defiance.
Yet he resisted.
"Infinity has no beginning..." he chanted, his body trembling as he fought against the pressure.
I smirked. No beginning right? but you certainly has an ending. Blue light flickered around him, tendrils of energy leeching away his strength, reducing him to a mere mortal.
Nie Li approached, his eyes narrowed. "You... just how strong are you?"
I shrugged. "Draconic ruins is one among thousands of great worlds. There is no shortage of geniuses anywhere. For my case, a strong soul needs a strong vessel. That's all."
Nie Li turned to the old man, his expression cold. "Should I kill him?"
The old man laughed, a ragged, mocking sound. "Do it. But know this ~ if you do, the ones who set this game in motion will come for you. Kong Ming himself may step into this world."
Nie Li couldn't bind or seal him since spiritual seals that work on martial ancestor realm needed the caster to be of higher cultivation. The old man had only injured his friends, not done anything excessive, but he was one more enemy in the end. Mad man wasn't even willing to compromise either.
Kindness to enemy is cruelness to oneself.
Nie Li asked me whether I could put a slave mark on him with my soul power. I told him no simply because I didn't want to hang onto this baggage.
"I don't know what method you used, but if you're planning on putting a slave mark you better kill me directly." He, as Kong Ming's heir, was not used to being defeated and put under mercy like this, and shouted.
While hearing our discussion, the mad man I captured took out his final reasoning to influence Nie Li that if I killed him, the infinity maxim of Kong Ming wouldn't allow Nie Li's cultivation to rise or his potential to increase ~ the fight had to be the fair effort of two individuals only.
( Isn't this suppose to be a more peaceful ending like in the story? What changed? ) Xiao Ning and Ye Ziyun asked me through the soul corridor.
( Nie Li has higher cultivation, which is tempting enough for him.) I replied.
Ye Ziyun observed, "Normally Nie Li would be at a disadvantage fighting one on one at full strength, and the old man will indeed have us and others here as opponents so he will die surely and the inheritance won't be followed."
Nie Li hesitated.
I sighed. "There's another way."
Both of them looked at me.
"I can make this fair," I said. "I'll reduce both of you to the same level. No tricks. No hidden power. Just skill, instinct, and fate. But once you agree, regardless of life and death, I can't save any of you."
The old man grinned, blood staining his teeth. "Do it." He was now restricted by my means and immediately agreed. For him anything was more acceptable than being under someone else's mercy like this.
I turned to Nie Li.
"You have to fight it out among yourselves with no advantages." Looking at the crowd around, "None here could influence it within, even me. Fair warning, it will be a little difficult, brutal may be." I said it to instill the idea of fair fight within.
"Do that." Looking at the old man who was determined to fight him, he replied.
I unleashed part of my true power.
"All beings within are equal: Mortals."